A pub that has been open with its current management since the Spring has won a major CAMRA Award. The North London Branch of CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, has awarded The Pocket in Canonbury Lane, the Winter Pub of the Season Award choosing it from hundreds of real ale pubs in the Branch area.

John Cryne, from the local CAMRA branch, said “The pub closed in 2021 and we thought that might be the last time we saw it operating as a pub so we were delighted when we heard that Peter Holt was going to take it over. Peter owns the multi award winning Southampton Arms in Kentish Town and this pub follows the same ethos. No televisions or piped music but there is a piano!”

John added, “Like the Southampton, the Pocket has an emphasis on good beer and cider, with eight handpumps for cask beer and six ciders; all from independent producers. Also, like the Southampton, the pub has a small selected food range of pies, sausage rolls and cheese. Since opening in March, the feedback we have had from people visiting the pub has been amazing and, I suspect that none of them will be surprised that the Pocket has been given this Award”.

Joao Neves, the Manager at the Pocket, is no stranger to pubs. He managed the Chesham Arms in Homerton before coming to the Rocket a month before it opened."The development and fitting was practically completed and my role was to do the bureaucracy!" said Joao. The Chesham Arms is lauded for its welcoming and neighbourhood feel and it was clear that Joao intends to mirror this atmosphere at the Pocket. When asked where the new pub name originated, he said, "Various people have different Ideas as to where the name came from. I think it's because it's small and attracts people from all walks of life. I've been impressed as to how many people who visit us get it".

Joao was clearly delighted in getting this Award; he commented, "This was all what we were aiming for from the beginning. We are doing this because of real ale and our passion for it".

The building dates from 1874. It acquired the name of Four Sisters after the four Miss Vincents who kept a coffee and confectionery shop there as early as 1905. By the 1930’s it was a Courage Brewery pub and there are some rumours that there was a brothel out of the back of the pub. It became a style bar called 25 Canonbury Lane before reverting back to ‘Four Sisters’ in 2013.

For further details contact: John Cryne: 07802 174 861; moc.liamelgoog@2enyrc.nhoj.

Extra facts

• CAMRA is the Campaign for Real Ale and is a volunteer membership organisation with over 200 volunteer branches across the UK and over 140,000 members.
• CAMRA nationally was formed in 1971. It exists to promote good beer, protect pubs and defend consumer rights.
• The North London branch of CAMRA covers most of the North London postcodes plus WC1 and parts of WC2, and has almost 700 pubs in it.
• The full address of the Pocket is, 25 Canonbury Lane, London N1 2AS
• Opening hours are currently noon – 11pm Monday- Thursday; noon-midnight Friday and Saturday; noon -10.30pm Sunday
• More details of the pub’s historic interior can be found at: https://camra.org.uk/pubs/pocket-london-124665